Innovative and Environmentally Conscious Use of Structural Steel Earns Home Recognition

A Montecito residence received the Merit Award in the Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel program (IDEAS2) for its use of exposed structural steel and sustainable design.

“The entire Montecito residence project team has shown how structural steel can be used to create structures that combine beauty and practicality,” said Roger Ferch, president of AISC. “The result is a sustainable home that serves its residents extremely well, while providing an example of what can be achieved when designing and constructing projects with steel.”

The residence has a two-wing design — a public wing composed of living, dining, and kitchen areas and outdoor dining and lounging areas which balances a private wing composed of bedrooms, bathrooms, and a library, all of which open up to small outdoor courtyards and terraces. The design was intended to maximize views of surrounding oak trees and boulders. The property is composed of 3,360 square feet of main residence, 500 square feet of garage, a 50-foot lap pool, a pergola, and an additional 715-square-foot guesthouse.

“This home showcases the greatest advantage of steel design; openness and floor plan flexibility,” said Duff Zimmerman of Cooper Steel (AISC member) and competition judge in a July 27 statement.

The home’s exposed structural steel frames are reflective of the sustainability and innovation of its design. Structured steel — which is formed primarily from scrap metal and considered a green metal — was chosen for its use in maximizing indoor-outdoor living and for its noncombustible nature in a fire-prone area. Barton Myers designed his Toro Canyon home similarly, employing structured steel. The Montecito project’s offsite manufacturing of structured-steel materials ensured less construction waste than the typical amount produced in wood-construction projects.

“All new designs in California have to comply with Title 24,” Thomas Schneider, a senior associate with Barton Myers Associates, explained. Title 24 — also known as the California Building Standards Code — requires design and construction of new buildings to employ measures of energy conservation and green design.

“The residence has solar panels that save 95 percent of electricity, solar collectors to preheat the water, and no air conditioning,” Schneider said. “[Past clients] have said that their electric bills are less than $10 a month.”

The Montecito residence — which was completed in 2009 — was one of four Merit Award winners in the under $15 million category. National and Merit Awards were broken down into three categories according to the project’s constructed value: under $15 million, $15 million to $75 million, and greater than $75 million. Projects were evaluated on criteria regarding utilization of structural steel from both architectural and structural engineering standpoints. Among details judged were each project’s application of innovative design systems, aesthetic and visual impact of steel elements in coordination with other materials, innovative uses of exposed structural steel, and sustainability of the project’s design.

The Montecito residence also earned recognition from Santa Barbara Beautiful, distinction as a Record House from New York-based Architecture Record, Best Custom Home from Santa Barbara Contractors Association, and the Grant Award from the Gold Nugget Awards in San Francisco.